Saved
by AngelOfReckoning
Summary: During an ill-fated Death Eater meeting, Severus Snape encounters a feeling he thought was long forgotten...compassion. In a moment of courage, he saves a former student from dying at the hand of the Dark Lord and his followers. In doing so he changes life as he has known it. (Timeline Summer after Goblet of Fire and onward) Severus x OC
1. Chapter 1

_HELP ME!_

The panicked thought entered his mind with force and an immediate throbbing erupted behind his eyes.

Severus Snape gave only the slightest indication that something was amiss. If one had looked close enough, they would've witnessed a miniscule twitch of his left eye. His hands subtly curled into fists under the table at the pain now hammering within his head.

 _Help me. Help me. Help me. HELP ME!_

The phrase echoed in his head over and over and over and over.

He had no doubt at the source of the intrusion.

Marcine Finley was standing trial before the Dark Lord. More accurately, Marcine's father was the one standing trial, his daughter was just collateral.

Roger Finley had been brought before the Dark Lord on charges of desertion. Suspicion of his loyalty had run high and was only confirmed when Dolohov had caught him trying to negotiate a portkey out of the country.

Roger was a proud and arrogant man. He had joined Voldemort's cause under the promise of power and glory. Unfortunately for Roger, such ambition came with a steep price. Unwilling to pay, he had sold out vital secrets to the Order of the Phoenix in exchange for safety and a place in Paris to lay low until everything had blown over. Nothing was ever so easy. Roger had forgotten that the Dark Lord (more accurately his followers) were always a step ahead.

A sharp pang in Severus' left forearm had alerted him of the meeting earlier that evening. Since Voldemort was under the impression that Severus was a double agent for the dark side, he was permitted to arrive later to the meeting after informing Dumbledore of his impending whereabouts.

Severus had swept into the Malfoy dining room just as Roger Finley had been thrown upon his knees in front of the Dark Lord and his servants.

"Ah, Severus. I am glad to have you here at last." The Dark Lord hissed in a pleased voice from his place at the head of the table.

It was perpetually the same. Always the same words spoken when Severus joined the meetings. He knew what Voldemort would say next.

"Come, sit at my right hand." Came the beckoning call.

As usual, Severus bowed in a humbled manner and took his place next to the Dark Lord.

Voldemort's snake like red eyes pinned Severus' and studied him for a moment.

"How is the old fool?"

Time and time again, the same question was asked. Time and time again, the same answer was given.

"Foolish, as always my Lord." Snape replied with a smirk.

The Dark Lord chuckled a bit and turned back to his table of Death Eaters.

"Now that we are all assembled, let us commence the trial."

The Death Eaters jeered and all gazes returned to Roger Finley.

He was still upon his knees looking worse for wear. Sweat poured down his brow and his body shook with slight tremors. The tremors signaled the aftermath of multiple Crucio curses that had been inflicted upon him over the past few days. Ah yes, everyone in the room was familiar with the tremors.

"Do you have anything to say for yourself?" Asked the Dark Lord, hands steepled in front of him with his wand threaded between his fingers.

Roger only lifted his head and spat upon the cold marble floor.

A wild women named Bellatrix Lestrange leapt up from her place on the left side of Lord Voldemort with a deranged shriek.

"How DARE you show our master such disrespect!" She howled, spittle flying from her lips. The woman's hand shook with rage as she lifted her gnarled wand and cast the first Unforgivable Curse of the evening.

Roger dropped to floor like a sack of grain. His screams of agony echoed across the hall, bouncing off the marble in multiple places. He continued to convulse and scream for a long moment before Lord Voldemort lazily intervened.

"Bellatrix." He intoned in a dark voice.

It only took one word for the wild witch to obey her master and lower her wand.

"You show me such loyalty." The Dark Lord said in a tone that hinted at admiration. For a moment, even Severus almost believed that he meant it.

The Dark Lord rose from his seat and stood before Bellatrix. She stared into his eyes as he ran a long bony finger down the side of her face. Bellatrix preened at the contact and moved to sink back into her chair.

"Roger Finley, you thought you could betray me. No! Not only betray me, but also your brethren. You let your cowardice interfere with our great cause, and for that you must die." Voldemort began, and the Death Eaters hissed and cawed in all the right places.

Roger lifted his head in defiance, but said nothing.

"Yes, you will die." Voldemort said thoughtfully, looking upwards and nodding. "But not before we show you the consequences of your betrayal...bring her in."

Everyone held their breath for a moment as Lucius Malfoy waved his wand toward the floor-to- ceiling oak doors that separated the hall from the rest of the manor. The doors swung open quickly with a thunderous bang. Behind the door was someone Severus had almost hoped it would not be.

Marcine Finley, the 23 year old daughter of Roger Finley. She floated there, bound and gagged. Her red hair was knotted and stuck out in strange places. Her normally snow white skin was covered with angry red welts and bruises. Bright blue eyes were wide with pure fear as Malfoy levitated her over to her father. She was none so gracefully released from the levitation spell, and her knees hit the marble hard. A grunt escaped her as she fell forward onto the floor. She tried the best she could to scramble back into a kneeling position.

Voldemort chuckled as he moved before her. In a blink of a moment, his bare foot was placed squarely on the center of her back. He pushed hard and pinned Marcine to the floor. She whimpered and most of the Death Eaters laughed. Severus stared at her with a blank mask, horror bubbling up within him.

Marcine had been his student. A Hufflepuff with an affinity for potions and charms. She had always greeted him warmly within the halls of Hogwarts and before class. He had even given her detention once for trying to strike up a conversation about his holidays. As hard as he tried, he could never fault the potions she made in his class. He remembered vividly that she had passed her Potion N.E.W.T. with flying colors. In that moment, Severus could think of no person that was more undeserving of her impending fate.

Finally, the Dark Lord removed his foot and Marcine was able to raise herself to her knees. Her breath shuddered and racked her body and she looked around the room with wild eyes. It took only a moment before her eyes met Severus'. Her nostrils flared as her eyes shone with recognition.

 _HELP ME!_

There it was. That infamous thought that invaded his mind. She had penetrated his bricked up Occlumency walls as if they were warm butter. His very soul was struck by the pure, unadulterated fear-filled thought.

His horror was paused by the loud hysterical laugh that poured from Roger Finley's mouth. Even the Dark Lord looked a little taken aback at the captured man's reaction.

"You brought her?!" He said between wheezes. "I don't give a flying fuck about that brat."

Bellatrix leapt from her seat and raced forward to violently backhand Roger across the face for "speaking to the Dark Lord in such a manner." His lip split open upon impact.

Marcine did not seem to hear her father's words. Her wide eyes had not left Severus' as she chanted her message within his mind.

 _Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me_.

All was quiet for a moment, before the Dark Lord vanished Marcine's bindings and pointed his wand between her eyes.

"Crucio!"

Marcine dropped to the floor for a second time, body convulsing against her own accord. No verbal scream escaped her mouth, but the phrase _"HELP ME"_ grew to shriek within Snape's mind.

The Dark Lord continued his assault, becoming frustrated that Marcine was making no noise.

Snape on the other hand, heard Marcine loud and clear. Her intrusion on his thoughts grew louder and louder, and beads of sweat pooled upon his brow.

Roger laughed again and spit a mouth full of blood onto the floor. Voldemort paused his ministrations. Marcine's body seized up once before giving out. This left her laying spread eagle upon the floor, breathing heavily. The post curse tremors setting in quickly.

Severus let out a sharp breath in relief as Marcine receded from his mind.

"I cannot begin to explain how much you have displeased me Finley. You have taken all the fun out of this evening." Voldemort hissed, almost pouting.

"May I practice on the wretch, Master?" Bellatrix questioned, looking up at the Dark Lord pleadingly.

The Dark Lord made a show of considering this, though all the Death Eaters knew he would not deny her.

"Go ahead my dear." He said, and swept an arm towards Marcine.

Bellatrix sauntered forward and removed Marcine's gag from her mouth. The younger woman's breath hitched in panic as the wild witch ran a long fingernail down her cheek. Blood welled up where the nail had split Marcine's skin.

"Crucio!" Bellatrix shrieked without warning.

This time, Marcine let out a loud agonized wail. Again came the onslaught of pleading within Severus' mind.

 _Help me. Help me. Help me! HELP ME! HELP ME!_

Severus fought against her, trying to use his mental shields to push her out. The force of her begging rammed against him and blew out his shield entirely.

 _PROFESSOR SNAPE PLEASE HELP ME!_

The plea reached a fever pitch and it felt as though someone was stirring his brain with a spoon. He could almost taste her fear.

Foam started to leak from Marcine's mouth and a blood vessel had burst in her eye.

 _Professor...help...me..._

He could tell she was giving up. She was going to let herself fall into the madness that was the Cruciatus curse. It was no longer her panic that boiled up within him. He was startled to realize that it was his own.

He took one more look at her battered body. He noticed the flash of red hair as she convulsed and Severus Snape made a decision that would change his life forever.

Before he could stop himself, the words spilled from his mouth. "My Lord, please make her stop."


	2. Chapter 2

Marcine's perception of time froze. Her scream caught in her throat as Severus' protest cut through the pain she was feeling. She had a passing thought that his voice speaking those words would forever be her favorite sound upon this Earth. Despite the ongoing torture of the Cruciatius curse, Marcine managed a smile.

Only a few feet away, Severus felt as though the words had been a dream or a figment of his imagination. He felt like a cloth doll and someone had pulled his string to make him speak. It became startlingly clear that the words were real when all eyes turned to him.

Marcine's presence melted from his mind as Bellatrix's concentration broke over the sentence that Severus had just uttered. Marcine slumped to the floor, her breath coming out in pants.

Bellatrix opened her mouth to shriek at him, but was stopped by Lord Voldemort casting a silencing spell upon her. Her face grew red with rage as she screamed to no avail. She stomped her foot and flung herself down into her chair.

The hairs on the back of his neck stood up as The Dark Lord slowly approached him. Upon instinct, Severus rose from his seat as a sign of respect. He kept his head lowered as the Dark Lord stopped before him.

"What was that?" The words were low and strained.

"My Lord..." Severus paused and for once in his life he did not know what to say.

 _Tell him I'm useful._

The thought, _Marcine's_ thought, entered his mind and it took most of his energy not to look toward her.

"Yes?" The Dark Lord was growing impatient quickly.

 _Tell him I can help with his cause._

With Marcine's prodding, Severus came up with a brilliant idea.

"My Lord, I know she is the daughter of...vermin." He took time to cast Roger a dark look.

Roger had been watching Marcine being tortured as if it were boring daytime television. He lazily turned his eyes away from his daughter to lock eyes with Snape. Roger smirked nefariously through the dried blood around his mouth.

I taught Miss Finley during her time at Hogwarts and she was very apt in Potions. As you know, my Lord, the old fool has me off on his ridiculous errands more than I would like to admit." Severus started to weave his tale in cool, indifferent tone.

"Get to the point, Severus." The Dark Lord hissed out.

"I could use her assistance in brewing your potions. She is skilled and obedient-"

"But what of her loyalty?!" Avery, the ugly brute, spoke up for the first time that evening.

The Dark Lord swung his head towards his follower and nodded.

"Ah yes, for once you make a decent point Avery." Lord Voldemort said with a devious smile, sarcasm dripping.

Avery sat back pleased with himself, before huffing at the realization of an insult. Severus coughed to return the attention back to him. When the Dark Lord motioned for him to continue speaking, Severus gestured his head towards Marcine.

"Do you not think she learned your true potential this evening, my Lord? Why would she cross you when she knows how strong your magic is without even trying?" Severus continued, hoping desperately that his next move would work.

 _Think of how much you admire his show of skill Miss Finley._ _Think it LOUD._

He sent the thought to Marcine in a desperate manner, waiting only a moment for her acknowledgement to acquiesce. Severus then made quite the spectacle of wincing and touching his forehead as if he were in immense pain.

"My Lord, lower your shields for a moment and you will see that she is practically shouting your praises." Snape coaxed.

The Dark Lord seemed to consider this for a moment, and his head cocked to the side as he concentrated.

"You are correct again, Severus. Our little demonstration has proven to the girl that we are the stronger side! I will need only a moment to think upon this." The Dark Lord made a show of returning to his seat at the head of the table.

Marcine and Severus waited in terse silence for Lord Voldemort to announce his decision. Marcine did not dare move from her spread eagle position on the floor. A vein in Severus' neck twitched in anticipation and he took time to wonder why in the name of Merlin, was he helping this girl. Even though he knew this could lead to his ruin, he was compelled to help Marcine. She proved herself smart and powerful in the way she had been able to invade his mind. If he was being entirely honest with himself, which he often was _not_ , this girl reminded him of _her_. His only friend and love...Lil-

Severus shook his head to clear the thought. He would not think of her. Snape forced himself to watch Lord Voldemort deliberate. In this instance, the Dark Lord could sway either way. Both were glad that Bellatrix had been silenced and could not spew forth lies and hate.

"You have convinced me, Severus. She may live to assist you." The Dark Lord announced in a grandiose manner.

At the statement, Marcine shot straight up into a sitting position as a sob of relief escaped her. Severus exhaled the breath that he had been holding.

"Thank you, my Lord." Severus said filling his tone with gratitude.

"However, we will need to solidify this...deal." Lord Voldemort began, a smirk stretching across his face.

Snape's mind began whirring. Surely he couldn't mean...

"An Unbreakable Vow!" The Dark Lord announced, accentuating his statement by slapping a bony hand on the table before him.

Snape swore internally and Marcine's lips parted in horror. An unbreakable vow was certainly not ideal. He wanted to save Marcine, not enslave her. In panic his eyes began to dart around the table. He locked eyes with Narcissa Malfoy. The Malfoy Matriarch stared at Snape for a brief moment, and did something shocking.

"My Lord, if I may, an unbreakable vow is too risky..." Narcissa began, her voice cool and controlled.

The Dark Lord looked instantly intrigued. Narcissa hardly ever spoke up at meetings, and when she did, her points were always valid. He motioned for her to continue speaking.

"She could choose to take the easy way out with an unbreakable vow. One word against you or refusal of service and she would be dead..." Narcissa began, eyes slowly meeting Marcine's.

Marcine held her breath, she did not know where this conversation was heading.

"You're right Narcissa." Lord Voldemort said, steepling his hands together in front of him in thought. "What would you suggest?" The Dark Lord's question was not mocking.

"A blood pact, my Lord. You would be in complete control of the vial at all times." Narcissa said softly, now looking at Severus.

The Dark Lord seemed to consider this and nodded his head. "Yes...a brilliant suggestion."

Snape could have kissed Narcissa in gratitude at that very moment. She had given Marcine an option. Less finite than an Unbreakable Vow, a blood pact had the possibility of being broken. Albus Dumbledore had proven that it could be done. Severus would detest for Marcine to ask for Dumbledore's help as he knew better than anyone that the help would come with a price. But, compared to an Unbreakable Vow, this was indeed the better option.

"Bring me the girl, and bring her wand." Lord Voldemort commanded.

With those words said, Marcine's fate was sealed.


	3. Chapter 3

Narcissa moved forward to Marcine and lifted the younger girl to her feet firmly, yet gently. Marcine met Narcissa's steely stare head on.

"It was the only way, you will thank me later." The words that came from the blonde woman were low and for Marcine's ears only. Marcine subtly nodded back.

For the second time that evening, Marcine was face to face with the Dark Lord. His red glowing eyes borrowed into hers, and she made sure to only let acceptable thoughts escape her.

"Marcine Finley, I have spared you this evening." He told her, as if it was some great honor.

She fell to her knees and bowed her head before him.

"I will be eternally grateful, my Lord." Her voice was low and raspy from all the screaming.

Severus had to admit that he was in awe of this woman. She had the wherewithal to know when to play a part. He had watched many a person try and fail to do what she was accomplishing.

It was then that Lucius Malfoy presented the Dark Lord with Marcine's wand. It was approximately 11 and a half inches in length. The caramel colored hornbeam wand had a dragon heartstring core. With it's rigid flexibility, the wand was highly adaptable to it's owner's magic. Like most magical folk, Marcine's wand was an extension of herself. It felt warm and magic zinged through her as it was placed in her open palm.

"Rise, my child." The Dark Lord commanded.

They made quick work of the blood pact. The ancient words were spoken, and the spell was cast.

A sharp pain bloomed across Marcine's palm as the skin split. Droplets of blood welled within the cut but did not drip down her hand. Instead the droplets rose into the air to combine with the Dark Lord's blackish blood. After a few moments of this, a small silver vial formed around the mixture. It glowed a brilliant white for a short second, before falling into Lord Voldemort's open palm.

Despite the process only taking only a few moments, Marcine felt as if her magic had been drained. Her breath came in pants and sweat beaded upon her brow. She allowed herself to marvel at the fact that the Dark Lord did not seem bothered by the use of such power.

"You are now bound to me Marcine Finley. You will serve me and my cause well." The Dark Lord eyed her with his slitted red eyes.

Marcine dipped her head in a sign of respect. When her head rose, she locked gazes with Severus. His dark eyes were focused intently on her.

"I thank you for your graciousness and mercy, my Lord. I will not disappoint you." was her reply.

Those words seemed to greatly please the Dark Lord, and he swung around to face his followers. The Death Eaters had been watching the exchange in complete silence. Some of them were almost bored. They were used to bloodshed, not mercy.

Lord Voldemort spread his arms wide as a sick smile bloomed across his face.

"Do you see? Tonight, you have all bore witness to a great feat! We are one step closer to accomplishing our goal. We will turn witches and wizards alike to our side. We will rise up and exterminate the mudbloods, the unworthies, and the blood traitors from this world!"

Now these were words the Death Eaters could rally behind. Great cheers rose up as the Dark Lord continued to preach.

Marcine felt her stomach roll as she listened to the speech. In her heart she knew that what she had done was to spare her life. However, she could not shake the feeling that SHE was the traitor that should be exterminated. She had betrayed the good side and would be indebted to one of the darkest wizards that ever lived.

As the dark feelings swirled inside her, a thought came to her mind. A thought that she was very careful to hide from the room filled with evil witches and wizards. She resolved right then and there that she would become a spy. With her gift of mind reading and projecting, she knew that she would be a great asset. Before being captured, she had heard whispers of the Order of the Phoenix rising from the ashes, just like it's namesake. She felt determination well up within her, warming her soul. She would make the best of this arrangement.

Marcine would make a difference in this war.

With this thought solidified in her mind, she allowed herself to clap along mindlessly to the Dark Lord's ramblings.

During the speech, Severus had risen from the table and moved to where Marcine was standing. All at once, she felt his presence behind her. Her knees weakened in an instant, and she had to lean into him to keep from falling. Severus braced her gently, and stood her back up. Marcine reveled in his warmth and turned her head to look up at him. She sent waves of her gratitude straight through his Occlumency shields. Tears pricked her eyes and flooded over onto her cheeks. Severus felt the strange urge to wipe them away. Instead, he grasped her arm gently and led her back to his seat at the table. Marcine sank into the chair, grateful for the firm and solid structure that embraced her tired body. Severus stood behind her, strong and protective.

Once the Dark Lord had finished, he returned to his seat and Severus took the chance to speak with him.

"My Lord, it has been a long night for Miss Finley. Do I have your permission to take her back with me to Hogwarts? I will need to secure arrangements for her as soon as possible."

Lord Voldemort nodded, and replied, "You may take her Severus...but there is one more thing that needs to be done."

It all happened quite quickly, Voldemort dissapperated from his seat and appeared right in front of Roger Finley.

Marcine had almost forgotten that he was still amongst them. She was not naive enough to think that her father would be making it out of this meeting alive. She just prayed it would be over quickly.

Lord Voldemort and Roger exchanged some terse words before the Dark Lord cast Severus' own spell.

"Sectumsempra!"

The skin of Roger's neck split open like butter. Blood poured forth and strangled gasps could be heard.

"Do not watch Miss Finley." Severus pleaded in a soft tone.

Marcine turned away from the scene and stared directly into Severus' eyes. She found an unspoken question there behind his gaze, and she allowed him to delve into her thoughts.

Images began to hit Severus all at once. Marcine's memories of how Roger treated his daughter danced before his eyes. His neglect of Marcine made Severus' blood boil _._ And yet, mixed within these disturbing images were acts of love and affection. There were memories of trips together while her mother was still alive, and the time Roger had won her a pigmy puff at an enchanted festival. While the love she had for her father had long since faded, a new emotion had grown in its place...forgiveness.

 _You are a Hufflepuff through and through Miss Finley_

Severus sent her this thought in a tone of admiration. Where he, himself, had turned to dark forces because of his abuse, she had grown and flourished because of hers.

 _I do not want him to die, but I am not dumb enough to have hope that he will survive._

She sent her thought back and Severus felt his respect for her grow even further.

Marcine kept her eyes on Severus while the Lord Voldemort healed Roger's neck quickly, and paused only for a moment before attacking him again. This went on for a long moment before the Dark Lord got bored.

"Bellatrix, you may finish him."

And with that, the wild witch cackled and said the final words.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"


	4. Chapter 4

Marcine's eyes fluttered closed as the room was bathed in a familiar green light. She felt her stomach roll as she heard her father's body hit the marble floor. An entirely unwelcome, obscured thought occurred to her then. Marcine wondered what it might have felt like to have one's soul torn apart by the act of murder. She could not help but question if Bellatrix felt a small part of her soul resisting and screaming against the darkness. That brought forth another question. Did the soul actually resist? Or was it easily malleable? She could not bring herself to dive off the precipice that included thinking about the Dark Lord's soul. Marcine shuddered violently.

Severus' warm hand on her shoulder brought her back to reality. Her eyes blinked open and met the older man's worried gaze.

"Come, let's get you out of here." He spoke softly, and moved his hand to Marcine's elbow.

He helped her stand from the sturdy wooden chair. Legs shaking, Marcine grasped Severus' arms for support. He allowed her to hold him tightly as she struggled to make her limbs obey. Once she felt strong enough, she released his arms and moved slowly to stand by his side.

The Dark Lord approached them and Marcine bowed her head.

"Thank you again, my lord." She whispered, but she knew the dark wizard would be able to hear her.

"You are most welcome my child. We _will_ meet again soon." The Dark Lord replied.

Again, her stomach rolled, but Marcine forced a little smile on her face. She was able to choke out that she would be looking forward to being in his presence again. Marcine could practically feel the satisfaction coming off the Dark Lord in waves.

"Severus, take good care of my Marcine. I can tell that she will do great things for our cause." The Dark Lord looked at Marcine fondly, an emotion that most sane people did not associate with him.

Lord Voldemort spoke some more words to Severus, but Marcine could not bring herself to pay close attention. Anger was seeping from her every pore. Lord Voldemort had called her _"his."_ She did not belong to anyone, especially not the darkest wizard of the age. Marcine clenched her teeth as she tried to push her thoughts down.

Without knowing, she had gripped onto Severus' sleeve and held tightly. He saw that her knuckles had turned white with her strong hold on him. He needed to get her out of this godforsaken place.

"If you do not mind, my Lord, I will be taking Miss Finley home now. She will need to be well rested before she can begin working on your potions." Severus said politely as if he was excusing themselves from a tea party, or an elegant gala.

Lord Voldemort eyed Marcine's battered body and nodded. He swept a hand towards the exit and bid them a good evening.

 _"What a gracious host."_ Marcine sent the thought to Severus, and he almost smirked.

Marcine tried to sneak a look at her father's body before they left the dining room, but Severus made sure to shield her gaze from the sight. She could not help but feel a little hollow as they made to walk through the wooden doors that closed off the rest of the manor. Suddenly, Narcissa was standing next to her.

"I am sorry it came to this." were the only words the older woman spoke.

Staring into her steely eyes, Marcine detected some genuine remorse within them. Marcine tried to speak, but could only nod at the Malfoy matriarch.

Severus spoke his gratitude and the two shared a look. A look that spoke volumes of what the two had experienced under the tyranny of Lord Voldemort.

Narcissa broke the gaze and waved her wand at the oak doors. The heavy doors opened just enough to let Severus and Marcine through. As they closed, Marcine could still hear the despicable thoughts that ran rampant within the dining room. She could not think of a word that expressed how relieved she was to be leaving.

The unusual pair exited the manor in silence. No words were spoken physically or mentally as they walked down the path towards where the wards ended. Marcine found herself clinging to Severus' arm heavily for support as she felt the true toll of the night's events settle upon her body. Each leg felt like it was made of lead as she trudged forward.

"Just a bit further Miss Finley." Severus encouraged, noting her strained gait.

"Marci." came the whispered reply.

Severus looked down at her with an eyebrow raised in question. She stared back up at him with puffy, tired eyes. He almost flinched at how the blue iris of her right eye, contrasted with the blood vessel that had burst during her torture.

"Please, just call me Marci." She almost begged him.

At that moment she needed familiarity, she needed a sense of intimacy that could only come about through the genuine support of another human being. She needed him to see her as "just Marci" not as "Miss Finley that just experienced the greatest trauma of her life thus far."

She projected these thoughts to Severus and his body sung with understanding.

"Okay 'just Marci'' He replied, a slight smirk curling his lip.

Marci felt tears spring to her eyes as a small smile appeared on her face despite the circumstances. She squeezed his arm in thanks and Severus felt his face warm.

"Please take me away from this place." Marci said, exhaustion seeping into her voice.

"Hold on for just a bit longer Marci, apparation will not treat you kindly." He warned, laying a hand over hers.

Marci took a deep breath and nodded her head.

"I'm ready."

In a blink of an eye, the two were gone.

* * *

 **Hello,**

 **I felt like it was time to introduce myself! Thank you for taking the time to read my story. I have so much planned for this story and I greatly enjoy writing it. It is a good escape from the chaos of day to day life.**

 **I would very much appreciate if you were to leave a review! Let me know what you liked, disliked, and would like to see going forward.**

 **Thank you,**

 **AngelOfReckoning.**


	5. Chapter 5

Severus Snape had been proven right. Aparation had certainly _not_ treated Marci kindly. After a bout of extreme nausea that almost brought her to her knees, Marci felt stable enough to continue on.

The pair made their way through the protective wards and up towards the castle. If Marci had been in the right state of mind, she would have taken a moment to admire the place she used to call home for seven years. The larger than life castle that had helped shape the witch that she was today. But alas, exhaustion weighed greatly upon her body and sleep was the only thing on her mind.

"I don't know if I can make it much further, Professor." She panted, her heart fluttering quickly within her chest.

The two had just passed through the main entrance of the castle, and Marci had begun to lean heavily against his side. She could barely keep herself upright. Severus looked down at her in alarm. Her face looked quite ashen and sweat glistened on her brow. Snape could tell that Marci was at her breaking point. Her body was quickly hurtling towards its limit.

"Expecto patronum." Severus cast the spell confidently, and a brilliant silver doe erupted from his ebony wand.

Marci watched in amazement as the doe pranced in a circle around them. It illuminated the both of them in a soft, silvery glow. She had the passing thought that he looked quite handsome surrounded by the gentle light.

"Give this message to Albus Dumbledore..." Severus began.

He went on to give their location and that Marcine would need some assistance quickly. Once his message was finished, the doe bowed its head and galloped down one of Hogwarts' dark hallways.

Severus steered Marci towards one of the stone staircases and sat her down. He kneeled before her and placed a hand on her forehead. Marci had to stop herself from leaning into his touch. He clicked his tongue at how clammy and waxy her skin felt.

"Albus will summon help, we will get you sorted soon Marci." He assured her, watching the witch sway with fatigue.

"I can make it to the hospital wing, I promise." She insisted, standing up from the stairs before Snape could stop her.

All at once a wave of dizziness hit her so violently that she almost vomited. Black spots appeared in her vision and she knew that her body finally had enough. The rubber band of her body's tolerance was pulled so tight that it had snapped. Her knees buckled and she knew no more.

* * *

It was quite a serene picture within the hospital wing of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry the next morning. Dust motes danced in the rays of sunshine that poured in through the large glass windows. Considering it was still summer before the next term, there were only three souls within the hospital wing at that moment. The first was Madame Pomfrey, the matron of Hogwarts. She had been called in from her home in Hogsmeade to assist the second person, Marcine Finley.

Madame Pomfrey had healed all of Marci's superficial wounds. The scratches, wounds, welts, and broken blood vessel had melted away easily. She had even spelled the knots out of the young woman's curly, red hair. The tricky part was the aftermath of the cruciatus curse. The third person within the wing, Severus Snape, had summoned his personal stash of a draught that he had created to help combat with the nasty side effects. Even though the draught was strong, Marci's body still shook with slight tremors, but she was in a much better state all things considered.

Bottles clinked as Madame Pomfrey busied herself with preparing a pepper-up potion for when Marci awakened. The matron hummed to herself quietly as she poured the potion into small vials.

Meanwhile, Marci was rustling within her hospital bed. Her brow furrowed as she slowly regained consciousness. The sound of Madame Pomfrey's humming was a welcomed sound, and it made Marci feel safe. Her eyes finally flitted open and she took in her surroundings.

Instantly, she knew where she was. There had been a time in her fifth year where she had fallen so ill that she spent an entire week within the hospital wing. She also had several friends who played Quidditch during her tenure within the castle. Yes, she was quite familiar with the place.

Marci took a moment to assess how her body felt. She had to admit that she was impressed with Madame Pomfrey's skills. She still felt a hint of exhaustion, but there was absolutely no pain. When Marci went to run a hand through her hair, she noticed the tremors. She hoped they would go away with time.

A cough tickled her throat and she looked to her bedside table to see if there was a glass of water. Instead, she found a sight that brought a smile to her face.

Severus Snape was slumped over in a chair next to her bedside. His robes were a bit wrinkled and it looked like he had been there for ages. He had spent the night with her, she realized.

Marci's blue eyes roved over his face. He looks a lot younger as he sleeps, she thought. His face was smoothed of all frowns and scowls, and he actually looked at ease.

She had the brief inclination to delve into his mind to see what he was dreaming about. Marci shook the thought away and remembered that she had promised herself not to invade people's privacy in that way.

Instead, she amused herself by tracing the features of his face. She had always found him handsome in a strange sort of way. He was interesting to look at and that is what she liked about him. Back in school, her friends had teased her for having a slight crush on him. A crush that had faded over time, but as she thought of the previous night's events, feelings of admiration began to grow anew.

"Are you going to spend all morning staring at me?"

Marci started a bit, and flushed in embarrassment. She hadn't known he'd awakened as she gazed at him with a fond smile.

"I-I'm sorry. You just looked so peaceful." She whispered, still not moving her eyes away.

Severus straightened in his seat and finally opened his eyes. He had woken a short time before that, but he found himself relishing in her attention towards him. He could feel that her stare was not harsh, it was soft and warm.

He took the time to look her over and was pleased at what he saw. Marci looked well rested and healthy. She was almost buried beneath the white comforter of her hospital bed. Her face was resting on her hand as she lay on her side. Red hair was splayed behind her in soft curls. Big blue eyes glittered at him as he met her gaze.

"How do you feel?" He asked her genuinely.

"I feel great, Professor. Thank you for asking." She replied with a smile.

"Severus." He said. "You can call me Severus."

Marci's smile widened.

"Severus, then." She said, and he felt a small smile tug at his lips.

They watched each other for a long while. The silence was not awkward, as both of them were content to just be in each other's presence.

After some time, Madame Pomfrey came over to check on Marci's vitals. She administrated the pepper-up potion to the younger girl and was happy with the progress that had been made.

"You may leave within the hour Miss Finley." Madame Pomfrey informed cheerily.

"Thank you very much for all of your help, Madame Pomfrey." Marci said genuinely, grasping the older matron's hand.

"Yes, thank you Madame Pomfrey. I do not know what we would do without you!" The voice belonged to none of the three souls that had spent the morning within the hospital wing.

This new voice was warm, cheerful, and inviting. It was fragile, yet strong at the same time.

The voice, it turned out, belonged to someone who Marcine considered the greatest wizard of all time, Albus Dumbledore.

* * *

 **Hello!**

 **Next chapter will feature a discussion with Albus Dumbledore that will shed some light on Marci's past. We'll find out a little more about her mind reading abilities and her future with the Order of the Phoenix.**

 **Leave a review! Let me know what you liked, and what you would like to see in the future.**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **-AngelOfReckoning**


	6. Chapter 6

After some (well maybe a lot) of convincing, Madame Pomfrey allowed Marci to be released from the Hospital Wing. The mediwitch shoved a velvet pouch full of potion vials into the younger witch's hands.

"The white one is for the pain, the purple is for the tremors. It'll take some time for them to dissipate completely." Madame Pomfrey explained as Marci looked through the pouch.

Marci nodded and sincerely thanked Madame Pomfrey for all that she had done. After that, the red haired witch grabbed Severus' arm and held tightly. Albus Dumbledore eyed the two with a twinkle in his eyes. Severus noticed the look and sent the Headmaster a nasty glare.

"Shall I call for tea?" was the Headmaster's jovial reply.

Snape deepened his glare, whilst Marci nodded enthusiastically. Dumbledore chuckled at the sight.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later found the trio situated within the Headmaster's office.

Marci and Severus were sitting in the chairs in front of the grand claw-footed desk. Dumbledore sat behind the desk with his hands steepled, wand threaded through his fingers.

The redheaded witch felt her stomach turn as her mind flashed to the night before, noting how the Dark Lord had sat in a very similar fashion. A frown creased her face and she tried to remove the image from her mind.

Soon a house elf by the name of Sally appeared and delivered an ornate tray of jasmine tea. Marci wondered for a brief moment if the Headmaster had known it was her favorite.

The occupants of the room sat, listening to Fawkes sing a rather sad sounding tune.

"Ah, his Burning Day is fast approaching."

As Dumbledore said this, Marci noticed Fawkes lose a few feathers. The beautiful feathers floated slowly to the ground, joining several others that had already fallen.

Clicking his tongue, Dumbledore motioned for Marci and Severus to drink their tea.

Marci tried very hard to enjoy her tea while simultaneously ignoring the fact that her shaking hands were causing the cup to rattle against its saucer dish.

Severus eyed Marci's hands discreetly and left his tea untouched. He did not think it best to ingest anything before the wreck of a conversation that they were about to have with the Headmaster.

Abruptly, Fawkes stopped his crooning and shook his body, resulting in the loss of more feathers. The group sat for another long moment before Dumbledore spoke.

"Severus, please recount the events of last evening."

Severus took a breath and briefly considered lying outright to the Headmaster. He did not want to divulge the fact that Marci could read minds, let alone project through mental shields. As fast as he began to toy with the idea, he was shut down.

 _He's known since my time at Hogwarts._

The thought came from Marci, and his only response to her was a particularly colorful curse word.

With that settled, Severus explained everything that had occurred the night before. He did leave out Narcissa's intervention. No need to drag ANOTHER person into this mess. He could hear Marci express her approval of that decision within his mind.

While Severus spoke, Dumbledore's eyes flitted between the two of them. His gaze often lingered on Marcine and that troubled Snape. He did not have to be Marci to know what the Headmaster was thinking. Despite his own angry thoughts, Severus kept his tone even throughout the story. After he was finished, Dumbledore leaned back in his chair.

"Well, it seems that you are more gifted then I originally thought Miss Finley." Dumbledore said, causing Marci to start in her chair.

Shakily, she set her empty cup and saucer upon the Headmaster's desk.

"I've always been able to read minds." She began softly, causing Severus to snap his gaze to her.

She wrung her hands together as she continued, "My great grandmother was a seer, so extra abilities run in my family. My mother would get so irritated with me as I often liked to finish her sentences for her. My classmates weren't aware that I already knew who they fancied in our year...I could read who ever's mind I wished, even if they had a mental shield up. I made a promise not to read a person's thoughts unless absolutely necessary, but sometimes people are just rather loud thinkers and I hear it anyways."

A huff of laughter escaped her and a small smile curled on Snape's lips at the sound.

"As I grew older I wanted to advance my skills. I started to practice projecting on some of my close friends who agreed to help. Though, I thought I was rubbish at it until last night..."

Dumbledore hummed before saying, "I would surmise that the stress of the situation caused whatever was blocking that talent to disappear."

Marcine nodded, that did make a lot of sense to her. Adrenaline was a powerful thing.

The events from last night once again flashed through her mind like a movie. Her breath hitched and her heart began to pound. The tremor in her hands intensified at the alarming thoughts. Severus noticed the change in Marcine immediately and hastily reached for the velvet pouch containing her potions. He uncorked a bottle filled with a shimmering purple potion that was the product of his own expertise.

As he knelt before her, he whispered, "Drink this. Please."

Gently, he placed the bottle in Marcine's grasp and raised their clasped hands to her lips. She drank the potion a little aggressively, and some dribbled down her chin. Severus used the pad of his thumb to wipe it away.

"Better?" He asked softly, still holding her hand in his.

Marci met his eyes and nodded slowly. She could feel her heartbeat returning to normal as the potion took effect.

Dumbledore had watched this whole exchange in surprise. He had not seen Severus act so tender in a very long time. He thought to himself that this was an interesting development that he could potentially use for his benefit in the future. As he thought this, he was very careful to shelter his mind from Marcine's ability.

Marci finally gathered herself and took a large breath. She recalled her determination to help the light side during the previous night. Summoning that courage once again, she leaned forward in her chair.

"Headmaster, I would like to help in whatever way I can. The Dark Lord has me in his sights and will not let me go without a fight. With that in mind, I would like to offer my services to help win this war in any way I can."

Severus was horrified at Marci's words and dropped her hand is if she had burned him. This woman did not know just how cruel the Headmaster could be. She did not know that the very man she idolized was leading Harry Potter, their only true hope, to his own destruction. Marci did not know that he would try to do the exact same thing to her. Severus did not want such a beautiful soul to end up bitter and changed...just like he had become.

"Marcine...you cannot be serious." Severus bit out the words tersely.

"Severus! I have to help...I lost my chance to be a bystander. Many things were taken from me last night. I will NOT allow the Dark Lord to take anything else." The determination and hate for Lord Voldemort bubbled in her veins.

He saw her crystalline eyes burn with conviction. Marcine projected her thoughts to Severus as he made a move to reply. He huffed and shot up from the floor in frustration. He began to pace the room like a caged animal.

 _Fine. Be the pawn in your own destruction._

Marci bristled at the nasty thought Snap had sent and turned back to Dumbledore.

"Well?!" She cried impatiently. She was not in the mood to be rejected by the two men that she admired most.

Dumbledore was silent for a moment. He stared her down and she returned his gaze unflinchingly.

A small smile then spread across the Headmaster's face as he said, "Well Miss Finley, you have swayed me."

A satisfied grin appeared on Marci's face, while Severus scowled viciously.

"Tell me Miss Finley, have you ever heard talk of The Order of The Phoenix?"


End file.
